Rahul speaking Hafiz Sayeed's language: BJP on JNU row

Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders who have criticised the arrest of a Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader, Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday alleged that they were speaking in the voice of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba which was an insult to the martyrs and would boost the morale of anti-national forces.

BJP claimed the “anti-India” march on JNU campus by a handful of people had invited country-wide condemnation but Congress and other opposition parties were targeting the Modi government due to their “political malice” and vote bank politics.

“Rahul Gandhi and his friends are speaking in the voice LeT terrorist Hafiz Sayeed who had tweeted in support of anti-India event in JNU. It is an insult to our martyrs and armed forces who sacrifice their lives on the border and will boost the morale of anti-national forces.

“JNU has produced many intellectuals and bureaucrats. A handful of people there have given anti-India speeches. Law is taking its course. BJP will urge Congress to not insult our martyrs for political reason,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

Referring to the recent deaths of army personnel, he said it was unfortunate that while soldiers sacrificed their lives on the border, anti-India slogans were raised and terrorists hailed as martyrs in an institution like JNU.

Reacting to the arrest of the student leader over the controversial JNU event, Gandhi had said, “Modi government and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad bullying an institution like JNU simply because it won’t toe their line is completely condemnable.”

“While Anti-India sentiment is unquestionably unacceptable, the right to dissent and debate is an essential ingredient of democracy,” the Congress leader had said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a tweet had said, “No one supports anti-national forces. But targeting innocent students using that as an excuse will prove very costly to Modi government”.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said efforts to give “ideological cover” to violence and anti-India activities cannot be allowed.

“The way foul language was used against the prime minister...a group of students is trying to damage the dignity of an institution like JNU in the name of cultural agitation,” he said.

Against the backdrop of claims made by Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley on Ishrat Jahan, Trivedi slammed the Janata Dal-United for joining opposition parties in raising the JNU issue, saying it had termed her as the “daughter of Bihar”.

“At a time when Bihar is being criminalised, JD-U is joining others on the JNU issue...we won’t allow any atrocity on students but at the same time we can’t let go anti-nationals,” he said.

Sharma accusing Congress of doing politics over terrorism and said the recent comment of a top former Intelligence Bureau officer had “exposed” the opposition party. “Even in 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, Congress had alluded to the involvement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” Sharma said.